Croatia were denied a stoppage-time goal in their 2-1 defeat to Portugal in their Round of 32 fixture at the ongoing World Cup.
It could have been one of the greatest last-gasp equalisers in the tournament history. It turned out to be one of the most dramatic VAR interventions instead.
Josko Gvardiol bundled the ball home from close range deep into the 13th minute of the added-on time and there were wild celebrations from the Croatian players and supporters. Even Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored his first-ever World Cup knockout goal before being replaced, looked dejected on the bench with Croatia seemingly heading for extra time.
But the celebrations were short-lived as VAR started an offside check. The key question was whether Igor Matanovic had got the slightest touch on the ball in the build-up. If he had, Gvardiol was offside. If not, the goal would stand.
After a lengthy review, referee Espen Eskas overturned the goal based on data from the Adidas Trionda match ball, which contains a microchip capable of detecting every touch in real time, very similar to the snicko technology used in cricket. The ball’s sensor show a clear spike of contact from Matanovic, confirming the offside which ended Croatia’s World Cup campaign and Luka Mordic’s ‘Last Dance’ in a heartbreaking fashion.
The decision sparked outrage from the Croatian supporters inside the stadium, with bottles thrown onto the pitch by them. Head coach Zlatko Dalic hammered the decision-making of the officials and questioned the growing influence of VAR, saying it “kills emotions” and takes the joy out of this beautiful game.
Portugal boss Roberto Martinez, however, backed the VAR technology, stating there was “no bad decision or lucky decision” as the ball’s sensor provided clear evidence of the touch.
The football world remained equally divided on this matter, one side was unconvinced by the television replays, and the other convinced that the chip inside the match ball definitively proved Matanovic’s flick. On a night filled with controversy, the technology ultimately delivered the tournament’s defining moment.
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